1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates an apparatus and method for deactivating lock devices associated with products and product packaging as a step in the process of completing the purchase of a product at a point of sale.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are deactivation pads or zones in check-out counters of almost every major retailer. The purpose of these zones is to deactivate a security tag such as the Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) tag that is frequently placed on the packaging or fixed to merchandise. In one case, the EAS tag must be located within an alternating magnetic field to demagnetize tag. Once demagnetized, the tag is not sensed at the doorway of the retailer. In other more advanced systems, RFID tags are used. In this case the RFID tag is read and information from the tag is entered into a local or global database and frequently information is subsequently written to the RFID tag itself.
The RFID can be used in conjunction with lock devices associated with products and product packaging, as described in commonly owned, PCT/US10/3588 and databases. By interrogating the RFID, information may be obtained pertaining to the particular lock device associated with product and/or product identifier. Such product locks, as described in PCT/US10/3588, may interfere by its association, with the functionality of the product directly (by, for example, interfering with the flow of electricity between components, making the product physically unable to fit or to be used as desired, or by keeping the packaging about it fixedly closed). It is desirable to be able discern one RFID tags from a plurality of tags which may be in the area for multiple purchases or even adjacent to the one being purchased.
One embodiment of a remote-activation adhesive lock described in PCT/US10/3588 comprises a Remote-Activation Adhesive Lock comprising laminate of an adhesive material that expands upon impingement with particular energy source, bonded to a first carrier substrate that acts an energy converter. First carrier substrate may be, for example, a conductive metal sheet (such as a foil of aluminum, iron, steel, copper, gold, platinum) that conducts the energy to a surface of the adhesive material. In such Remote-Activation Adhesive Locks, exposure of first carrier substrate to an externally applied field causes the flow of electrical eddy currents. The eddy currents directly or indirectly initiate the expansion of the adhesive. The expansion of the adhesive causes delatching of a locking mechanism and motion of the conductive surfaces. Thus enabling use of the product or access through the product packaging
Because of the energy that may be need to unlock a product or product packaging lock such as described in PCT/US10/3588, while the RFID may be read at a distance from the reading source, it may be necessary to have the lock in close proximity to an energy source in order to unlock the lock. In such cases, it may be desirable to have the unlocking circuitry associated with a Point of Sale (POS) counter in a specific location.